Witness Says Chromebooks Are Not Overpriced; Millions Remain Active
A continuation hearing into the Chromebook procurement case on Monday (2 March) again yielded new facts clarifying market price dynamics and debunking allegations of state losses. The hearing revealed that the procurement price had been placed at the lower end of market prices, and that Chromebooks are still in active use by millions of students and teachers across Indonesia.
During testimony, Idi Sumardi, the Technical Team member who prepared the Chromebook procurement study from the Nadiem era, explained that the price surveys and technology reviews were conducted in accordance with procedure, both via the e-catalog and outside the e-catalog. The survey showed Chromebook prices ranged from Rp4.3 million to Rp9.1 million. The technical team emphasised that they did not find devices priced at Rp3 million as had been previously suggested.
‘As far as I can recall, I didn’t see Rp3 million. It shows Rp4 million, if I’m not mistaken. In the e-catalog it shows Rp4.4 million, outside the e-catalog Rp4.3 million,’ Idi testified in court.
Responding to this testimony, Nadiem Makarim stressed that the findings are consistent with the earlier testimony by Aris Supriyanto, Director of Advocacy at LKPP, during the 9 February hearing. Aris had stated that the market price outside the e-catalog ranged from Rp5–7 million. ‘The market price range is between Rp5–7 million and a Rp3 million price does not exist anywhere. This is consistent with what Mr Aris from LKPP said, that price surveys are around Rp5–7 million, while the purchase price of Rp5.5 million sits at the lower end of that range. Therefore, if there is no overpricing, there is no state loss,’ said Nadiem.
CRUCIAL CDM FUNCTION
Beyond price, the hearing also highlighted the importance of the Chrome Device Management (CDM) feature embedded in the devices. Former Head of Data and Information Technology at the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research and Technology (MENDIKBUDRISTEK), Muhammad Hasan Chabibie, explained that CDM is a centralised oversight feature that is crucial for the education sector.
‘When we talk about device management, one of the IT world’s problems is controlling how devices are used. With CDM we can control the content used on school laptops, including avoiding negative content such as pornography and online gambling, as well as monitor device activity,’ Hasan stated.
Critics who claimed the Chromebook procurement was ineffective were vigorously rebutted with comprehensive data. Nadiem Makarim disclosed that of 1.4 million devices distributed, last-login data show 85% are still in active use through 2025, with hundreds of thousands of active users each month.
During the 2024 Computer-Based National Assessment (ANBK), almost 1 million Chromebooks were used. This is supported by BPKP’s 2023 notes confirming that 86% of students and 58% of teachers used Chromebooks for ANBK and IT-based learning.
UNINTENDED DATA PRESENTATION
With this data, Nadiem Makarim’s Legal Counsel, Dodi Abdulkadir, lamented the presentation of incomplete data of the Chromebook programme from Nadiem’s era. ‘There is data for 12 months, but only six months were taken. Based on complete and objective data from the officially audited dashboard, Chromebook usage has been very effective. Usage is recorded at 58% for teacher-led learning, 55% for students, and above 85% for the Minimum Competency Assessment (AKM),’ Dodi noted.
BAP COPY PASTE
In the courtroom, Nadiem’s Legal Counsel, Ari Yusuf Amir, criticised the uniformity of witness statements in the minutes of examination (BAP) by dozens of witnesses, calling it suspiciously copy-pasted, even down to punctuation. ‘Imagine, how can the semicolon in a BAP be identical? Obviously, copy-paste. The statements used should be those from the court proceedings, not merely what is in the BAP,’ Ari stated.
He also urged the bench to ensure the hearing runs efficiently so that witnesses presented truly carry weight and are not merely reiterating the same statements. (E-2)